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DEQ STAFF

MDEQ Public Hearing on the Lundin Mining Corporation Eagle Mine Draft Groundwater Discharge Permit. DEQ STAFF. Rick Rusz , Supervisor of Groundwater Permits Unit, Water Resources Division , and decision maker for the Groundwater Discharge Permit .

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DEQ STAFF

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  1. MDEQ Public Hearing on the Lundin Mining CorporationEagle Mine Draft Groundwater Discharge Permit

  2. DEQ STAFF • Rick Rusz, Supervisor of Groundwater Permits Unit, Water Resources Division, and decision maker for the Groundwater Discharge Permit. • Ginny Pennala, Upper Peninsula Assistant District Supervisor, Water Resources Division • Jeanette Bailey, Permit Coordinator, Groundwater Permits Unit, Water Resources Division • Jeff Warner, Geologist, Groundwater Permits Unit, Water Resources Division • Randy Conroy, Geologist, Upper Peninsula District, Water Resources Division • Joe Maki, Geologist, Office of Oil, Gas and Minerals • Melanie Humphrey, Geologist, Office of Oil, Gas and Minerals

  3. EAGLE MINE GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT • First Permit Issued on December 14, 2007 • The permit protects both surface water and groundwater. • Most restrictive limit for all substances in accordance with the Groundwater and Surface water Quality Rules. • This hearing is regarding Lundin Mining Corporation’s application for reissuance of the permit. • The draft permit retains most limits and restriction contained in the first permit.

  4. Primary Revisions • Site specific background concentrations for vanadium and pH • Recalibration of Allowable Operational Range for specific conductance • Uranium Monitoring

  5. WHAT WE’VE HEARD • STATUTE NOT PROPERLY APPLIED • URANIUM • NON COMPLIANCE • SALMON TROUT RIVER • HYDROGEOLOGY • STATUTE NOT RESTRICTIVE • BACKGROUND WATER QUALITY

  6. 1. STATUTE NOT APPLIED PROPERLY Issue: Limits instead of ‘only reporting’ Response: Nickel • 29 ug/l to protect Salmon Trout River • 50 ug/l to protect groundwater users • Expected effluent is 4.9 ug/l • Notification level is 24.5 ug/l

  7. 1. STATUTE NOT APPLIED PROPERLY Issue: Limits instead of ‘only reporting’ Response: Aluminum • No surface water standard • 150 ug/l to protect groundwater users • Expected effluent is 1.9 ug/l • Notification level is 9.5 ug/l

  8. 1. STATUTE NOT APPLIED PROPERLY Issue: Limits instead of ‘only reporting’ Response: Uranium • No surface water standard • 30 ug/l to protect groundwater users • Expected effluent is <1 ug/l • Notification level 5 ug/l, in 24 hours

  9. 2. URANIUM Issue: ‘Uranium at Eagle is a hazard’ Response: • 70% UP wells have detectable uranium • 15% > 30 ug/l, drinking water limit • Water in TDRSA: 0.13 ug/l • Reverse Osmosis Effluent: non detect

  10. ’3. NON COMPLIANCE Issue: ‘Groundwater standards exceeded 47 times with no enforcement action Response: 67% occurred prior to Eagle discharge 26% after Eagle discharge, similar to pre discharge groundwater quality 7% from disturbed well, currently compliant Eagle effluent less than (often non detect) ground water limits for metals

  11. 4. SALMON TROUT NOT PROTECTED Issue:‘Limits must protect Salmon Trout River and Seeps’ Response: Permit has more restrictive of groundwater and surface water limits. E.g. copper: Groundwater limit: 500 ug/l Surface water limit: 10 ug/l Permit limit: 10 ug/l

  12. 4. SALMON TROUT NOT PROTECTED DEQ will recheck for omissions and will correct. We will also provide a table showing the ground and surface water limits.

  13. 5. HYDROGEOLOGY

  14. 6. STATUTE NOT RESTRICTIVE Issue: ‘Groundwater permit increases Chromium by 940%’ Response: Background 2.5 ug/l Permit limit 52 ug/l Clean up standard 100 ug/l Surface water limit 63 ug/l Expected Effluent 0.5 ug/l

  15. 6. STATUTE NOT RESTRICTIVE Issue: Proposed permit relaxes vanadium and pH limits Response: Rules set limits halfway between background and clean up standard. Some wells weren’t installed when first permit was developed. Background assumed to be zero. Pre discharge data is now being used to set limits, in accord with rules.

  16. 7. Establishing Background Groundwater Quality • Rules provide for groundwater limits for most inorganic substances at ½ way between background groundwater quality and Part 201 generic residential clean up criteria. • Background groundwater quality considered is establishing limits in original permit for several substances. Example: chromium • In the absence of background groundwater quality data a permit limit was established ½ way between zero and Part 201 generic residential clean up criteria. Example: vanadium

  17. Request for Site-Specific Background Limits • Permittee requested revised groundwater limits for vanadium and pH based on site-specific background levels in its application for reissuance. • DEQ performed its own calculations in establishing revised limits using all pre-discharge groundwater monitoring data. • A separate analysis was performed for vanadium in Well QAL051A based its own background level.

  18. QUESTIONS

  19. OTHER ISSUES OF CONCERN Issue: The contact basin is undersized Response: The contact water basin was sized to handle: • 100-yr, 24-hr event that produces 4.7 MG of water • 50-yr rainfall/snowmelt event produces 7.8 MG over the entire snowmelt period. • The basins are 14 MG when full, (11.5 MG when meeting the freeboard permit requirements).

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